Shakespeare’s Love

Shakespeare’s Love is definitely not your modern romantic-comedy version of love. There is no real courtship for most of the couples and “lust at first sight” fits the bill much more accurately than “love.” This love more faithfully follows the “courtly love” conception of love; although it is not not always men falling in love with women from a distance here: Shakespeare allows women equal part in love. For instance, when Olivia meets Cesario she feels an instant attraction and quickly labels it love, without much knowledge of him. Olivia does, however, have some reason to believe she is in love with Cesario when he wins her over with his enactment of how he would woo her were he trying to. Still, the fact that Olivia cannot tell her “true love” apart from his twin and marries him does not convince me that this is true love. I feel that Shakespeare forces us to suspend our disbelief in thinking that this is possible if the share a lasting love. I do see that this scenario works well to exaggerate the comic quality of the play. Similarly, Orsino has little personal knowledge of Olivia other than that she is nearby beautiful wealthy countess, and yet he claims to be deeply in love with her. My notion of love does not line up with Orsino’s for Olivia and I think Shakespeare agrees with me here as he emphasizes that Orsino’s love is a bit superficial and exaggerated. I also found it odd that a budding relationship between Orsino and Viola was not really evident before he realized that she was a she and not a he, except for the hint that Orsino trusted Cesario without reservation in very little time. When he realizes that he is a she, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that there is nothing to do but get married. Was this really because of some misguided concept of love? I thought it may be because according to custom, it would ruin her reputation if it was found that they had been alone unchaperoned for a seriously significant amount of time. Again this “love” does not strike me as a type of love that could endure under today’s much more specific definition. The play makes me wonder if we ask too much of love today. After all, it is old news that birth rates are declining rapidly in Europe because potential parents are getting married older because they are looking for their respective “true loves.” People today are becoming pickier; we want to know everything about a person before we get married to him or her, not after. There is less willingness to stick it out if the going gets tough, unlike in Shakespeare’s time when divorce was a pretty strict no-no unless dire circumstances were at play. To understand Shakespeare’s notion of love, we have to put his plays into a Renaissance context and not view them with our 21st century contacts on. His love would have gone over much better with his original audience. We are critics of a piece which represents a different way of life altogether, so we are biased in thinking that the way we live now is the “right” way. (537)

Burden

The word burden immediately brings to my mind the image of Atlas carrying the entire world on his back. Although the word burden is not of Greek or Roman origin, if these peoples had known of this word I am sure that they too would have used it to describe the burdened Atlas. For what could be more burdensome than the weight of the entire world? At the beginning of this assignment I was rather sure that burden had Germanic origins, because it certainly did not seem Latin or French, and as we have recently learned, it is a commonly used word and therefore was likely to have Olde English roots. It also just sounds harsh when you say it, like many words of Germanic origin. Other than this, however, I had little knowledge of the complexities of burden (and there are complexities, many in fact). I chose burden to research precisely because I did not know much about it at all. As a student of both Latin and French, I have more than a little pride in my knack for etymology, but when it comes to words of Olde English origin, I have little knowledge because of my nonexistent German. Another reason for my selection was that burden did not seem to encompass too many ideas into the same word, unlike the extremely broad “good” or “love”; burden seemed like a solid, straightforward word. Little did I realize at the time how wrong I was. You see, burden has a variety of meanings, ranging from the refrain of a song to a certain automotive part, which I still have not fully comprehended... Anyhow, I will not be expounding greatly on these rather seldom used connotations of burden, but will focus on the more widely used ones, past and present. (300)

The Pardoner's Tale: Does Chaucer Go Too Far?

I wol none of the Apostles countrefete

I wol have money, wolle, cheese, and whete,

Al were it yiven of the pooreste page,

Or of the pooreste widwe in a village –

Al sholde hir children sterve for famine. (l. 159-163)

I feel that in this passage Chaucer expects the reader to suspend his disbelief too much. The possibility that a pardoner would so blatantly own up to, and even gloat about, having stolen money from all these innocent people is slim. This is especially significant because he should actually be using the money he receives for the pardons to help these very people. Also, I find it hard to believe that he is boasting about having stolen from these people in front of the upstanding parson and the knight who told his tale about nobility. Furthermore, he claims that he has no interest whatsoever in being noble when he refers to the Apostles and his lack of desire to imitate them. Chaucer was far more subtle and witty in the others tales that we read, this makes me wonder why he was so transparent in illustrating the pardoner’s treachery in this tale…

Chaucer's "yong Squier"

In the General Prologue of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, he provides a concise portrait of each of the traveller’s on the way to Canterbury. The second character described is the “yong Squier,” the son of the ideally noble knight portrayed just before (l. 79). In contrast to the knight, the squier is depicted to be less serious and devoted to following through with his duty as the knight is.The fist description of him given is “a lovere and lusty bacheler,” implying that his sexual role is the one that most defines him (l. 80). The next line shows him as with “lokkes crulle as they were laid in presse,” this depicts him as vain, after all, how many warriors can afford the time to curl their hair? He is not, however, illustrated as completely irresponsible; he was “of greet strenghte / And hadde been som time in chavchye” (l. 83-84). So, he is admired for his strength, and he also has spenta considerable amount of time fighting in wars between the English and French. However, Chaucer goes on to write that the fighting had “born him wel of so litel space, / In hope to stonden in his lady’s grace;” because these two lines are placed side-by-side in the text, there is an implication that he the little time he has spent in service has only been for the purpose of being held high in his lady’s esteem (l.87-88). Chaucer continues to illustrate the squier as vain when he writes that he was “Embrouded... al ful of fresshe flowers, white and rede,” not many beginning crusaders probably wore embroidered clothing (l.89-90). “Singing he was, or floiting al the day: /... He coulde songes make, and wel endite, / Juste and eek daunce, and wel portraye and write,” he appears to be considerably less serious and dutiful than his father  and far-more lighthearted (l. 91-96). “He slept namore than dooth a nightingale,” so he spends his nights carousing and enjoying himself, and presumably his ladies (l.98). However Chaucer makes a point of ending his portrait with the fact that the Squier was “curteis... lowely, and servisable / And carf bifron his fader at the table, “ demonstrating that all things considered, he was still committed to doing his duty and doing it well when the time comes (l 99-100). Overall, he symbolizes, not the ideal aristocrat, but certainly not a depraved one. (398)

Approaching Geats: Enemies or A Savior?

It is cold outside and I can feel the harsh winds breaking through my furs; the strong breeze has been encouraged by the sea. For this month, it is my turn to keep watch of the sea. I must carefully guard our coastline as we cannot afford ill-willed intruders while we also fend off Grendel, the shadow-stalking monster. Although Hrothgar has been a strong king to us, he has grown older, and therefore weaker. We the Danes are no longer a match for Grendel. He has been steadily destroying our magnificent mead-hall, not one better can be found the world over. We constantly replace the men and send more and more to keep watch over the hall, but our supply of men drops every year due to the captain of evil, and yet we cannot stop him. It seems that we send them in only to be feed for that devil’s spawn-

What is this I spy in the distance? It appears to be a large boat. They are displaying their war gear. Do they mean to attack? I could call the guard, but if the tribesmen are friendly, I should not like to have called in the soldiers; they have enough to deal with. now they unload their battle-equipment. They are disembarking, and without asking the sentries as well. This is making me anxious, why do they not pause or ask permission? I shall go down the crags and face them; we will see how they respond. As I get closer on horseback, I can see that the man in front, the leader, he appears to have a quite noble bearing, perhaps he means no evil to the Danes? They approach in a large number, so impressive a group I have never witnessed. They bear a fancy assortment of weapons: decorated shields, shirts of mail, cheek-hinged helmets and javelins. Regardless, I cannot be too sure when my people and my reputation are at stake. I flourish my spear at them. I inquire as to their reasons for arriving.

They seem to have noble intentions. I intend to display myself undaunted in the face of so large a number of clearly experienced soldiers. After all, the Geat’s goal, he proclaims perhaps too proudly, is to defeat Grendel. This lofty goal could very well be impossible to achieve; this warrior aims high. He claims to owe allegiance to our king, Hrothgar. I shall proceed and ask him if this is so. If he can defeat Grendel, I will make every effort to aid him in his desire. I plan to advise Hrothgar to support this as yet unnamed Geat, son of Ecgtheow, and welcome him accordingly. This Geat seems to be loyal to my king, Hrothgar, and I believe he will serve us well. I sense, though, that he does this for hidden reason of his own, along with those he has already spouted to me. I instruct my comrades to keep safe the Geats’ vessel. I will lead the men now to Hrothgar. After conferring with him, I expect a man as noble as this Geat-leader appears to be will be allowed at least a conference with the king. (528)

Beowulf: A Weakling?

Thus Beowulf bore himself with valor;

he was formidable in battle yet behaved with honor

and took no advantage; never cut down

a comrade who was drunk,  kept his temper

and, warrior that he was, watched and controlled

his God-sent strength and his outstanding

natural powers. He had been poorly regarded

for a long time, was taken by the Geats

for less than he was worth: and their lord too

had never much esteemed him in the mead-hall.

They firmly believed he lacked force,

that the prince was a weakling; but presently

every affront to his deserving was reversed (l. 2177-2189).

We learn something absolutely shocking in this passage; Beowulf was not highly esteemed by his own people!!! This is surprising considering the way he is first introduced by the poet:

    The man whose name was known for courage,

the Geat leader, resolute in his helmet...

And the way he is introduced by himself:

“Greeting to Hrothgar. I am Hygelac’s kinsman,

one of his hall-troop. When I was younger,

I had great triumphs. Then news of Grendel,

Hard to ignore, reached me at home:

sailors brought stories of the plight you suffer

...

So every elder and experienced councilman

among my people supported my resolve

to come here to you, King Hrothgar,

because all knew of my awesome strength.

They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies

when I battled and bound five beasts,

raided a troll-nest  and in the night-sea

slaughtered sea brutes. I have suffered extremes

and avenged the Geats (their enemies brought it

upon themselves; I devastated them) (l. 407-424).

Both the poet and Beowulf emphasize that he is a well known warrior, the toughest of them all, and yet, we see in the last chapters of the epic that this is not so. Beowulf is, in fact, considered a “weakling” (L.2188) among his elders because he hasn’t truly proven himself yet. If this is true, does this make Beowulf more of a coming-of-age tale than an epic?  If the whole purpose of Beowulf’s voyage to the Danes was to defeat Grendel in the eyes of his own kinsmen, then Beowulf was not truly a hero before.  So why did he and the poet introduce him as such? One reason could be that there was a mistake in the translation, however such a significant one is unlikely. Another possibility is that he was considered a weakling when he was very young, far before he ever went to the Danes, but had redeemed himself more recently and this section is describing that previous time. This is also unlikely, though, because is it were true the poet would not go on to say that “presently / every affront to his deserving was reversed” (1. 2189-2190) which implies that until he had come back from rescuing the Danes, he was still considered “lack[ing] in force.” Perhaps he was introduced as a hero because the poet wanted the audience to consider Beowulf a hero throughout his battles with Grendel and his mother. Regardless of how it was meant to be interpreted, I think it is very significant to the text that Beowulf was not considered a hero by his tribesmen, but introduced himself as such when he went to aid the Danes. (543)

Most Memorable Works

These are in no particular order…

The Confessions of a Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella

These are the type of book that I can read a hundred times and never tire of; they make me laugh.

The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

One cannot help but become engrossed in the tale of a modern-day princess who, regardless of her royal status, battles strong insecurities that leave her unable to feel that she is equal to her peers. Of course, it also features a legion of humorous and embarrassing moments to laugh out loud at.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite book is, this title is what I respond with. Although it may not still be my absolute favorite book, it is the last “favorite book” I remember having (this was in the fourth grade). A classic fairytale, but not really, it’s more like Cinderella with a plot twist that includes an insane fairy godmother with good intentions who gives a “gift” that’s really a curse, both an evil stepmother and an evil uncle, a talking snake, and trolls.

Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya

This realistic portrayal of today’s India, where people who have everything money can buy live across the street (literally) from people who don not know whether they will have food tomorrow is a bleak, yet realistic account that makes you think…about so many things that I cannot possibly write them all down.

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

By far my favorite school-ordained read, this novel interested me for reasons I cannot put into words. The contrast between the genius son o f a Hasidic rabbi who wants his son to succeed him as rabbi and a Jewish boy whose religious strictures at home are far more lax who actually wants to become a rabbi result in a tumultuous and fascinating relationship.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

This story is the most emotionally touching one I have read in a long time. It is centered on a young girl whose mother was possibly murdered by her father, whose father is physically abusive, and whose best friend is her African maid. Without her father’s knowledge the girl and her maid escape to, what for them, is a refuge. What they find is that no matter where they go, no place will ever be their utopia.

The Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum

I have read all fourteen of these novels at least twice because they are so dramatically captivating. Baum writing style leaves no reader behind during his many different journeys though Oz.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe series by C. S. Lewis

Like with the Wizard of Oz series, these novels are enthralling and simply must be read.

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

This inspiring story about three orphaned girls who are determined to “put [their] names in history books]” without having any of their credit go to men (as was common in the time, 1936), proceed to do so. When I read it as a child, it reinforced in my mind the idea that I could do and be anything I wanted to.

The Odyssey by Homer

After spending a month reading this with Dr. Allison, this epic is honestly impossible to forget.

Oedipus Rex

Truly one of the most tragic tragedies I’ve ever read.

“War is Kind” by Stephen Crane

A unique and sarcastic message from the battlefront (580)

Summer Reading 2010

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

Emma by Jane Austen

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Act of Treason by Vince Flynn

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Little White Lies by Gemma Townley

The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

Twenties Girl by Sophia Kinsella

The Gatecrasher by Madeline Wickham                              

…and other novels whose titles I have embarrassingly forgotten… (77)

The Curious Case of Autism

The novel that resounded most deeply with me this summer is surely The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Although I hadn’t realized it before I began reading the text, it was about autism. Its topic made it so significant to me because I began the novel while I was in India volunteering at Sandeepani, a school primarily for autistic children. Even though I had volunteered at the institution the previous summer as well, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time gave me an in-depth voyage into the inner workings of the mind of an autistic child and allowed me to better comprehend the actions and overall behaviors of the children I taught each day. Haddon’s remarkable insight into the thought processes of an autistic mind − as they are clearly not all the same − enlightened me as to how the students in my class understood and associated with their surroundings and the education I was attempting to imbue them with. For instance, Haddon’s description of Christopher’s relegation of yellow and brown as conforms to his own and unique logic exemplifies how autistic children form likes and dislikes (83). His aside about wood (84), which goes off into a mini-tangent regarding why he believes wood is bad includes myriad random facts. I have noticed that the hoarding of facts can be significant to autistic people as many find that fact that they are facts comforting as they − in their minds −cannot be changed. Other things that many of them find reassuring are lists, plans or action, and promises. Haddon’s scrupulous research paid off as he shows Christopher’s attention to detail and his grasp of only the precise and not the implied. When Ed makes Christopher “promise about five things,” Christopher promises those and only those five things. He promises, for example, not to mention Mr. Shears’s name inside their house, and so he doesn’t; however, he does not comprehend the implied meaning, which is that he is not to go on mentioning Mr. Shears any more at all, and so he asks Mrs. Shears about him. This is very typical of autistic behavior; at the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, I learned that when impacted children are given very precisely worded directions regarding what they must proceed to do, plans tend to go off without a hitch, however, the slightest slip of the tongue can send a completely different message to the child and proceed to cause a great deal of anxiety and frustration for the child when he or she is faced with what they did wrong according to the non-impacted mind. Haddon meticulously conveys the emotions, thought processes, and mind blocks of an autistic child with unerring accuracy in his brilliant novel. (463)